Hope Springs Eternal Other POVs From Lost Cause
by bonnysammy
Summary: Miscellaneous POVs for the story Lost Cause. I have separated Alice and Edward into their own stories because they are integral to the main story.  These will be different views from secondary characters. Please read Lost Cause first.
1. Persuasion RPOV

A\N

Thanks for the interest in my story. For those of you who have reviewed, the time you have taken is always appreciated.

Thank you to everyone at Project Team Beta. You have helped me so much. Again, I strongly suggest everyone to use their services. The link is still in my profile. My work is my own but without the beta's to help, it would be worthless. They are looking for more betas if you are interested.

Thank you to my Twilighted betas: Strider and qjmom. Thanks for the interest in my story. For those of you who have reviewed, the time you have taken is always appreciated.

Thank you to everyone at Project Team Beta. You have helped me so much. Again, I strongly suggest everyone to use their services. The link is still in my profile. My work is my own but without the beta's to help, it would be worthless. They are looking for more betas if you are interested.

Thank you to my Twilighted betas: Strider and qjmom. Strider is amazing.

I do not own any of these characters, or the original plot to the Twilight Series. Everything publicly recognizable belongs to their owners. I am doing this only for the pleasure I gain from writing and I am not associated with anyone or anything to do with the Twilight Series. There is no financial benefit, whatsoever, though I may wish there were.

My work is my own.

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1 - Persuasion - RPOV

I waited as the rest of the family gathered around Esme's antique mahogany table. We were in the dining room, which usually served only for the purpose of family meetings. As I sat in my plush chair waiting for the others to take their places, I could hear the calm, rhythmic heartbeat and respiration echoing from the child upstairs – Bella, as she liked to be called.

_I don't care how old she says she is; she is just a child._

Due to the steady beat and breathing, it was obvious she was asleep. As always, when I thought of her, my anger at the danger her presence imparted upon our family flared. Every second one of us was around her, we risked exposing ourselves, thus breaking the highest of laws for our kind. We also risked her life, though this was not too high on my list of priorities; humans die all the time.

If I was honest with myself, she had also interrupted my pleasant, though somewhat repetitive, life. This simple fact irked me beyond mere words. We had to move so often that it was rare to actually feel at home somewhere. Before her arrival, I had come to think of Forks as home. She had stolen that feeling from me. Her presence made everything so uncomfortable.

When I analyzed the situation from another angle, I had to confess that I was slightly jealous as well. Since her arrival, I rarely saw my husband because he was too busy playing with his new toy. I knew he harbored no romantic feelings for the girl – and who could blame him when comparing her to me; she was plain, nowhere near my league. I knew that he was just happy to have someone around who was younger than he. He'd always wanted a little sister, even when he was human, and this was finally his chance. I could understand his reasons, but I still missed being around him, and it was all because of her.

Not only was my man almost nonexistent, but one of my brothers was constantly suffering because of her scent. We had to hear him complain about it all day. Of course, he never said anything in front of his wife – she probably would have ripped his head off. I couldn't say anything to her because she had some crazed attachment to the girl, like she thought they were sisters, completely ignoring me. So, I had to endure Jasper's disagreeable nature and her peppy "Bella this" and "Bella that" in silence. It was infuriating.

Then, there was Edward. He was pushed out of our home because of her. Edward and I had always been the most alike, in nature at least. Our feelings about the life we led and our sense of humor were always in sync. It was odd not hearing him tinker next to me in the garage. I even yearned to hear a sharp retort from his lips daily. He and I connected in a way that the others did not understand, and I missed him.

Carlisle cleared his throat, an unnecessary gesture to bring our attention to him, bringing my attention back to the situation at hand. I turned my head to face him. As my eyes scanned the room, they fell upon the mirror on the opposite wall. I took in my appearance – not a hair out of place, as usual.

_So attractive. Was it even possible that anyone could be as lovely as me? No._

I lingered before turning to face Carlisle. When I finally brought my eyes to him, I was not shocked by his expression. From everyone's somber manner when walking to the dining room, I didn't need to see the grave look on his face to know that this was not going to be an enjoyable conference.

Alice had called Carlisle during our lunch period at the local high school. She had spoken with him and asked him to leave work early for a discussion. She would not tell any of us what was happening, but I knew it had something to do with the girl sleeping obliviously upstairs.

_How is she going to interrupt my life this time?_

I looked around at my family, assessing the situation. No one present felt the way I did about _her_.

Carlisle and Esme saw her as another lost soul, someone to guide and parent. They had accepted her as they had accepted all of us. I couldn't fault their kindness or compassion even though they were weaknesses.

Alice and Emmett saw her as a sister. For Alice, she was the sister I could never be. In truth, they also saw her as the sister _she_ couldn't ever be – she was human and wouldn't last long.

Jasper was just as opposed to the girl's presence as I was, but for obviously different reasons.

So I stood alone.

If Edward had been here, I was _sure_ he would have taken my side. I could imagine myself thinking snide remarks in attempts to make him snicker. I pictured his probable reaction as he would fight for composure. But I wasn't even allowed that enjoyment – he had been driven away by that girl.

"I'm sure everyone but Alice is wondering why I have called this meeting," Carlisle began, once again breaking me from my musings. "This morning, Alice had a vision that affects the entire family. It seems Bella has been noticing certain oddities about us since she has come here. Today she finally acted upon her suspicions, using the internet to research. Her doubts that we are different were apparently confirmed."

Esme gasped and began to speak, "Does she – "

"Alice saw her searching for certain terms," Carlisle interrupted her, holding his hand up to halt her speech. That was an unusual reaction for Carlisle, and Esme sat wide-eyed, staring at her husband's rudeness. "So, yes, we believe she does know. Alice didn't see her reaction, however. So here is where we need to tread lightly."

_Stupid child. She is going to ruin everything for us. And I like it here. We almost get to be normal._

I could sense Jasper's tension from across the table. He knew what introducing the girl to our world meant, and I was sure he did not wish to provoke any of our kind into any type of action – he knew what horrors that entailed. And he would never risk it, especially over something as insignificant as the child sleeping _peacefully_ upstairs.

My jealousy erupted again as I wished I had that ability, that escape. But no, I could not sleep. Doomed to be perfect for all of eternity, I was never going to be allowed the pleasure of sleep ever again. I had to sit there, surrounded by my family, worrying about the dangers the girl had presented us while she lay upstairs dreaming away.

"Alice and I have discussed the options already, and we've decided that it's best to confirm her findings," Carlisle continued. "She must be terrified, and she should be told the circumstances so that she can make an educated decision. It's time to give her the choice to leave if she desires."

I snorted, noticing how the normally coarse sound was like music leaving my lips.

_This girl should never have been here to make this decision. _

Glancing over at Alice, I saw her smug expression. This was all her fault. If she had just ignored the vision of the girl, the human would have never been here, would have never interrupted my perfectly acceptable life. My anger toward Alice filled every cell in my body. I was a powder keg, waiting for the sparks ignited by this situation to start the explosion.

"Rosalie," Jasper said. "That's quite enough." He attempted to push a feeling of calm toward me, but I was too angry for it to have any result.

I thought he wouldn't be against me, even if he wasn't on my side, but I guess that my anger toward his wife ended that possibility.

"Enough?" I screamed, irate at the current circumstances. "Enough? How is anything enough? She made the decision to bring the human here; she brought this danger on us. I say we take care of it right now. No one needs to know. No one even knows she's here. It would be quick and clean. And our family could be whole again."

I realized my anger toward Alice was unwarranted. It was really the child who had caused all these problems. I crossed my arms and looked away, allowing my insinuation to plant its seeds. Emmett put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me into him, trying in vain to calm me. He knew I had no qualms ridding myself of the petite child. I looked back to the family.

"Humans die all the time," I said, trying to look at the situation from a calculated point of view. "She would just disappear and we could all go back to the way it was before."

Everyone remained silent. Carlisle looked down at the table, pensively. He took a deep breath, and nodded his head in what must have been affirmation. Then he spoke.

"Rosalie," Carlisle said. I could tell he was trying to placate me from the tone in his voice. "Every life is precious. We cannot hurt the girl. Performing that sort of act goes against everything we strive for. Besides, she's a part of this family now and you will treat her as such."

I huffed, and Emmett wrapped one of his arms around me. I would not go against Carlisle's decision but I would never accept _her_ as part of the family. Looking at Carlisle's expression, I could see that he was too emotionally attached to her to think clearly.

_Were the others all so attached? Was wishing her gone a lost cause?_

I looked around the table and I could see the others agreed with him, even Jasper. At that moment, I realized that I was completely alone in my beliefs.

Carlisle spoke again, "Since Bella is the closest with Alice, Alice is going to go up to her room and coax her down to join in this family discussion." I glanced over to Alice's chair and saw she had already left.

I heard the soft sigh of metal as the girl's bedroom door opened, and then the low groan of the mattress springs as Alice sat. The girl's breathing and heart rate picked up speed; she had obviously woken.

I looked around the table as the conversation began upstairs.

"Bella, I know you're awake." Alice said softly, her high-pitched voice exuding patience. "I also know you've got something you want to ask."

The girl drew in a breath and loudly moved in the bed. I heard the material and pillows from her bed being whipped around.

"I guess you saw my search on the computer earlier today," the girl boldly stated. "Is it true, Alice?"

_I can't believe she's so calm about all of this._

"Bella, I think I know what you're asking, but you need to actually ask out loud," Alice kindly replied. I would have ripped the girl's head off if she had spoken to me like that – she was far too arrogant for her own good. "I can't assume anything."

There was more movement, and the child finally spat out, "Alice. . . are you and your family not . . . human?" She paused and eventually spoke again when Alice didn't respond. "Okay. I guess you are not going to answer that. Are you a vampire?" Her voice was almost inaudible.

_At least she was frightened of something._

I pondered the many ways in which I could frighten her, make her see reason.

It took a while for Alice to answer but when she did, I could almost hear a smile in her voice. I guess she had seen something in her strange snippets of the future that had pleased her. "I think we should take this downstairs with the rest of the family."

The child's mattress creaked again and I heard their footsteps patter across the hard wood of her bedroom floor. I heard a sound that must have been the girl stumbling.

_She is far too clumsy. Is nothing redeemable about her?_

I heard the door close.

_Here comes the human._

It took them a very long time to descend and enter the dining room; humans moved so slowly. No one spoke as they entered, and Carlisle pointed out a place for the girl to sit. She sat in the chair and stared at the table, refusing to look at anyone. She was obviously more nervous than her words had revealed. Carlisle once again grabbed everyone's attention by clearing his throat.

He spoke first, "Bella, from your conversation with Alice, we know you have some concerns. Before we get into specifics, I am sure you have many questions. First, let me tell you that your assumptions about my family and I are correct. We are . . ." he paused again, looking at each of us – I hoped my icy glare displayed my distaste, but he continued anyway, "vampires, as you've concluded." She tried to interrupt, but Carlisle calmly placed his hand in the air to stop her.

_Here it comes, the entire explanation that puts us _all_ in jeopardy. Stupid, stupid, stupid._

I found it difficult not to roll my eyes or stomp my feet. I wanted to do something to exhibit how angry I was at this situation. Since I could not show my revulsion, I decided to distract myself.

_Maybe if I hissed at the child or bared my teeth, it would frighten her sufficiently to have her make the correct decision. Then again, she doesn't seem bright enough for an outward sign like that to actually scare her._

Carlisle droned on and I stared at the child, infusing every thought with the anger and hatred I felt for her. I wasn't paying attention to the conversation because I knew the gist of what was being said; the details didn't matter so much.

I did notice when the room became silent. I looked around and everyone was staring at the girl. She looked lost in thought.

_Good riddance. Maybe she'll never come back._

Her face twisted into a hint of a smile and she nodded her head.

_She _cannot_ be thinking of staying. Maybe she really is an idiot._

"Carlisle, as you know, this is quite a . . . shock," she calmly muttered. "But since none of you have done anything to hurt me, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt."

_How is it possible that she can take this so coolly? Does she have no sense of self-preservation? My prior thoughts on her lack of intellect seemed true._

As expected, Carlisle acquiesced and once again accepted her into our family. I silently vowed that I would never accept her. She had been too much of a problem, too much of a pest.

The conversation once again turned to the details that this child should _never_ know. I decided it wasn't important to pay attention. She had made her idiotic decision to involve herself in our lives, knowing what we were. I tuned the discussion out, examining my nails – they needed another coat of polish. I would have asked Alice to do it – a little bonding time – but I knew she'd want to spend more time with her shiny little toy.

The tidbits I heard of the conversation helped solidify how stupid the girl really was.

_She hadn't expected that we were human at one point? That was one thing about most myths that was actually true. How could she _not_ believe that?_

When she asked about escaping, I wanted to laugh out loud.

_No, honey. There's no chance of getting away from one of us when we finally decide to give into our true nature and hunt you. Hopefully it will be Jasper, as anyone else would feel guilty, and I wouldn't want to ruin my record._

I briefly felt guilt for wishing death on the girl. My previous thoughts were only of protecting my family, not of vengeance toward her. I wasn't a compassionate – weak – person; I knew that. But thinking like that was beyond even my usual cruelty. I swept my shame under the rug. I wouldn't allow myself to hope for her demise, since that seemed impossible, and I would _not_ allow myself to feel guilt if I did. In all honesty, I really didn't want her hurt. I just wanted her away from me and my family.

I returned to the examination of my hands, and was interrupted when I heard Emmett utter my name. I didn't like him talking about me with her but when he called me his angel, my negative feelings lessened quite a bit.

_I love this man so much._

My attention was now drawn back to the conversation.

"How were you . . .saved?" she asked, more than a little interested.

_No, no, no. She was not joining this family that way. First of all, I wouldn't want her around forever. Secondly, how could she give up everything her humanity allowed her?_

My temper rose to the surface again as Carlisle explained the science behind creating new vampires. She watched, enraptured by his explanation; she was far too interested. After he detailed the process to her, Carlisle dismissed us and we all went to our respective rooms.

On the trip up to my room, I pondered the new information I had garnered about the child from her questions. I was worried by her reaction to everything. She was too engrossed, too fascinated. Should she have any plans that became solid, I would need to dissuade this girl. It would be for everyone's sake.

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End notes:

As always, thank you so much for reading and reviewing. I love all reviews.

I know Rosalie comes off as an awful person here. Just remember, she is VERY angry. These are not her "everyday" thoughts. I mean, she is still resentful to Bella's presence, but the thoughts displayed above are extreme and raw - she's only just found out the news. She will come around and I think that will be seen in the future.

The next posting probably won't be until after I return to the country (a couple of weeks). But it should be a main story chapter. I had some major difficulties with Chapter 6 of Lost Cause so that's why two alternate POV postings came instead. I think I've got it mostly worked out. i just need to have it betad.


	2. Education Tanya POV

Thank you to everyone at Project Team Beta. You have helped me so much. Again, I strongly suggest everyone to use their services. The link is still in my profile. My work is my own but without the betas to help, it would be worthless. They are looking for more betas if you are interested.

A special thanks to my permanent betas. Their knowledge of not only the technical aspects of writing and the character's personalities, but also of my silly little storyline is wonderful and such a great help. I hope it shows in this chapter. Thanks so much, Strider and jfka06, you've really helped make my chapter readable.

As always, thanks for being my MyVampFiction Validation beta, SusanAshlea.

I do not own any of these characters, or the original plot to the Twilight Series. Everything publicly recognizable belongs to their owners. I am doing this only for the pleasure I gain from writing and I am not associated with anyone or anything to do with the Twilight Series. There is no financial benefit, whatsoever, though I may wish there were.

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Tanya POV

The call rang out, impetuous and annoying. It had been a while since Edward had arrived and it felt like I had been buried under an avalanche of Alice's constant nagging appeals. I knew she missed her brother but there was such a thing as smothering.

I looked outside to the beautiful dark sky and thought about ignoring the irritating ringing, but it kept blaring through the house. The infuriating chiming stopped, briefly, only to take up again moments later. I looked at the caller ID and picked up the phone. Clearly no one _else_ within the house had the inclination.

"Hello, Alice." My voice sounded harsh to my own ears, my indignation at her bombardment of calls breaking through my attempt at coolness. Though I had known Alice long enough to expect her reaction, a small portion of me hoped that maybe she'd pick up on my lack of enthusiasm and react kindly. "How can I help you?"

"I know Edward's still there and that he won't answer my call if I try his phone again," she chirped, sounding almost as annoying as the nonstop ringing of the phone. Evidently she was ignoring my mood. "I knew _you_ would, however . . . after a while, at least. Anyway, he needs to know that he's going to receive an email tonight, probably in about an hour or two – the timing's still up in the air. And he _must_ read it." Alice continued to rattle in her high-pitched soprano. I struggled to pay attention rather than letting her drone on in the background.

"Is it from you?" I asked. I knew that if I called Edward from his self-imposed exile to read an email from Alice, he would flip. It was obvious he didn't want to be bothered and I didn't feel like incurring his wrath tonight – his last dismissal had been enough rejection for me. I tried not to let it trouble me, but still it did.

"No," she chuckled. "It's from a . . . new friend. And it's _very_ important that he read it."

"Oh! " I exclaimed. "The human girl you've told me about?"

_Every time I've picked up thephone._

"Yes," Alice retorted, her voice clipped. Obviously I'd said something to annoy her. "Her name is Bella, Tanya."

I was both shocked and awed that this human was strong enough to contact Edward, knowing everything she did. Alice had told me she knew of our kind during our last conversation. The sort of behavior this girl displayed was unusual for a human. They typically just avoided us but this one appeared to be different. I wondered why.

Alice's protective tone had not escaped my attention, either. Obviously this girl was very important to her. I realized I should tread lightly around Alice where the girl – Bella, I reminded myself – was concerned.

"I'll tell him," I replied. "I still haven't seen or spoken to him since he arrived. I should go talk to him. I really have been too rude." I could hear the hurt in my voice and hoped Alice didn't.

Every time I thought of Edward, I felt the same sting his refusal had caused each time he had rebuffed my company. If I was honest with myself – and since I did _not_ want to experience _that_ again – that was the reason I hadn't spoken with him. I let out a gust of breath.

"Oh, Tanya," Alice said. "I'm sure he never meant to hurt you. You _know_ the way he is."

_I do know the way he is. He is just so stubborn._

"Yes, of course, Alice. I'll tell him you called and attempt to convince him to check his email. He's obstinate, though. He probably won't listen."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Tanya. I know he is, but you're persistent. And I know that you can do this. You may be the only one he'll listen to." I heard a male voice – Jasper? – mumbling in the background just low enough that I could not make out the words. "Um . . . I need to go now. I'll talk to you later?"

"Okay. Bye."

I hung up the phone and made my way to my room. I prettied myself up for the meeting I needed to have with Edward. It didn't take long; there wasn't much that needed to be done. I was near perfect at all times.

When I was told that Edward had arrived, I knew that he had not come to visit me. Still, I held out hope that this was the case, anyway. I wished that he had changed his mind about me and was willing to take me up on my offer. His continued absence confirmed that this was not the situation. Thought it was expected, it still hurt.

He didn't tell anyone why he had shown up unexpectedly, though the Kate, Eleazar and Carmen had visited him and repeatedly asked. He just said he couldn't go home, not yet. From Alice, I had determined that it was due to the human girl's scent, it called out to him in a way he had never experienced. He was hard pressed to actually deny his thirst and not take the girl's life. Edward prided himself on his control and this was foreign territory to him. Everything always seemed to come so easily for him; he had never been truly tested.

_Welcome to the real world, buddy. We are what we are._

After I was finished in my room, I walked out of my kitchen and into the white covered tundra outside of my house. I sniffed the air and found Edward's scent, musky and yet pure, somehow. I followed it, traveling only a few miles away, to where he laid on the ground staring at the sky. I was amazed that he had not moved since he had first arrived here. He was motionless on the ground, his thoughts obviously taking him many miles away from his current location.

_To Forks, maybe?_

He was gorgeous as usual. His hair was wild and unkempt. His dark eyes stood out as a sharp contrast to his flawless, luminescent skin. He was the epitome of vampire beauty.

_Too bad he's not interested. We could have such a great time._

But beyond that perfection, he was a mess. His clothed were filthy and frayed in a few areas, whether from hunting or running I couldn't be sure. I hadn't seen a car so I knew he'd traveled the whole way on foot. He hadn't made a move and he appeared lost in his own thoughts, so I wasn't even sure he'd heard my approach or my thoughts.

_This may be the only time I'll ever be able to surprise him!_

I grabbed two handfuls of snow and packed them into a singular ball-like shape. I pulled back my hand and launched the snowball at him. It hit him square in the stomach, but he didn't move.

_Ugh! How frustrating._

I crouched down, coiling my muscles for attack and leapt, landing directly on top of him. I smiled in greeting.

_Hello, Edward. Nice to see you again._

"Tanya," he responded. His eyes – too dull without their boyish sparkle – barely flickered in my direction. I couldn't even look in them; I looked to the horizon instead. He appeared listless, devoid of life.

"I'm sure I do."

_What happened, Edward?_

"Nothing of importance."

_An obvious lie_. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed him force a slight smile. I didn't push the subject – he clearly didn't want to talk about it. _I apologize that I haven't come to see you, yet. I've been busy._

I knew he picked up on my answering lie, but he didn't call me on it. I extricated myself from his body and sat next to him.

"I understand," he answered in that same lifeless voice. "I haven't especially made things easy for you, have I?" I briefly wondered what could make him act this way, then pulled myself back to the task at hand.

_No, not really, _I thought honestly_. But still, I should have come to see a friend._

For the first time since the beginning of our conversation, I looked at him closely. It appeared there was something new in his demeanor, something I had never seen about him. This was odd since our kind rarely ever changed. I allowed my gaze to follow his entire form. At first, I noted the overt sexual nature of his figure – how could I not – but when I reached his eyes and really gazed into them, I realized what had happened. I saw the difference, the miracle of an alteration in the frozen nature of our kind.

_How to state this delicately?_

"Edward, you've . . . changed since I've last seen you." I looked him up and down. "Yes, you're definitely different. Have you –" _well, this is awkward_ – "mated?" I questioned, trying to feign relative disinterest.

His face took on an incredulous expression as he raised one eyebrow.

_So adorable. What? Now I'm thinking of him like a toddler?_

His eyes widened, whether at his thoughts or mine I could not be sure.

"No. Why would you ask that?" he practically squeaked at me, showing his true teenage self. I had never seen Edward discomposed – it was a breath of fresh air, though I felt awful feeling pleasure at his discomfort.

I looked him in the eyes, trying to explain what I saw when I looked at him. Even though he could read my mind, he had never known of the particular aspect I was going to divulge now – there had never been a reason to think of it before.

"You are . . . different," I calmly stated. "I can sense that. I'm – I don't know how to explain it – I'm no longer . . . interested in you."

"Interested?" His brow furrowed when he asked his question.

"Yes, interested. You know, attracted." _It's my talent, Edward. I know when someone is, let's say, available._ "How do you think my sisters and I are able to find all those _single_ men?"

I wrapped my arm around him in comfort. He didn't pull away as he usually would have. He must have known that there were no feelings of desire, only companionable warmth.

"Your talent?" he asked. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

_You never asked._ I smirked at him. For once, I had known something the mind reader hadn't. He chuckled. "But you are slightly . . . murky, I guess would cover it. I can assume why. You either didn't know, or you don't believe. That must mean that you're bound, but not fully mated yet."

_Ever virginal. Poor thing._

He swiftly stood and began pacing. "Bound? What are you saying?" His long fingers wound their way through the thick locks of his hair, causing the disheveled mass to stick out.

I was shocked that he did not know this term. I shook my head, trying to rid myself of the annoyance that I had to explain to a hundred-something year old vampire about our mating process – _this_ was something his surrogate father should have explained. I decided that I would only glance over the specifics.

"Carlisle's never told you of this?" I questioned, delaying the inevitable sex conversation. "You've met her, your future mate, but you haven't 'sealed the deal' per se. We call this binding. You feel yourself drawn to her, attached in a way, like you're tied to her. But since you didn't know, it must be relatively recent."

"No, I don't know what you're talk– " His expression became odd, unreadable. Then a smirk spread across his face. "Wait. You said her. I _amazed_ there were no gay jokes." His voice dripped sarcasm and he stopped pacing to turn and stare at me.

"No, I've always known you aren't gay." _Another aspect of my talent_. I winked.

"But you've never said anything," he pushed. "Maybe I could have avoided grief from Emmett."

"It was comical to watch Emmett taunt you," I stated. Then I started giggling remembering some of the times Emmett had done just that. I heard Edward sigh, and his pacing resumed.

"So, you really think I've met _her_?" I could almost hear the eye roll in his voice, acid leaked through every word. "What? Among the brainless high school human girls?"

"It would need to be someone new," I stated. "Has there been anyone new at the school?" I refused to let his temper anger me. I was trying to nudge him in the right direction without being too apparent.

"No," he answered. His attitude had risen up a notch and that bristled. I was only trying to help him understand his current state. I remained calm as I pressed on.

"Then it isn't the school," I pushed. "Have you met anyone else recently?" I prodded, already knowing the answer.

"The _human_ girl?" he demanded, more than asked. "I don't _think_ so." His words were still acidic, but his eyes clouded and his expression once again revealed that he was miles away.

"I knew it," I said, triumphantly. "Has she been invading all of your thoughts? Does she make it hard to think of anything else?" _Just think about it, Edward._ "But, anyway, that's not the reason I came here. Alice said that you are going to receive an email that you need to read, probably within the hour."

"Really? You came out here just to tell me about an email?"

"Well, yes," I answered. "From Alice's tone, it seemed important. It's from . . . the human girl, as you like to call her. It seems she's still at your family's home and she wants to communicate with _you_ for some reason." I rolled my eyes.

He looked slightly more animated, and I decided it was time to go. I'd done my job and delivered the message about the email. It would probably be best to just leave him to ruminate.

_So, I'll leave you with your thoughts._

I stood and started the walk back to the house. As soon as I left his range, I began pondering my love life. Sure it was plentiful, but wasn't quality not quantity the key? I hoped that I would eventually find my mate.

_If Edward could find someone after all this time, then maybe my chance was to come soon._

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Thanks for reading. I hope you liked it.

So, that was Tanya. I know it gave away nothing that was really a secret. Oh! BTW, this is a EXB story for anyone who was unaware! XD

I have an EPOV that may be posted next or I may do Main Story. I'm not sure yet. Either way, you will get more Edward with my next post, I'm just not sure whether we'll be in his head or not.

Chapter 8 is already in beta!


	3. Tragedy Bella POV Haiti Compilation

A\N

Thanks for the interest in my story. For those of you who have reviewed, the time you have taken is always appreciated.

Thank you to everyone at Project Team Beta. You have helped me so much. Again, I strongly suggest everyone to use their services. The link is still in my profile. My work is my own but without the beta's to help, it would be worthless. They are looking for more betas if you are interested.

Thank you to my permanent betas: Strider and jfka06.

I do not own any of these characters, or the original plot to the Twilight Series. Everything publicly recognizable belongs to their owners. I am doing this only for the pleasure I gain from writing and I am not associated with anyone or anything to do with the Twilight Series. There is no financial benefit, whatsoever, though I may wish there were.

My work is my own.

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I laid in my bed, huddled beneath the security of my warm flannel sheets and down comforter. I was attempting to hide from the catastrophe taking place in the bedroom down the hall. My mom and dad were fighting... again. Tonight it was a pretty bad one; I could hear them clearly. The volume and frequency of their arguments had been increasing over the last few months. I shoved my pillow over my head, muffling the sound of their screams minutely. It was never enough.

"I should _never _have stayed with you this long," my mom shrieked, her high voice cutting through the otherwise silent house. "I never wanted to be stuck here, trapped in a life I hate. Bella's the only good thing I've got. I should've run with her when she was a baby. _All _of us would've been better off."

_Don't bring me into it, mom. _

"That's enough," my dad bellowed. "Don't bring Bella into this. You know I love you, but your melodramatics are getting to be too much. Just because you can't be a responsible adult, you... You're the one who made the mistake here, not me, sweetheart."

"How dare you sweetheart me?" my mom yelled, drowning out my dad's voice. "You promised we'd get out, that we'd have a better life than either of our parents. Well, news flash, we don't. I'm the only one of my friends still trapped here. Scraping pennies together to survive. I--"

"If you hadn't wasted the cash on Jane Fonda tapes and exercise crap, instead of paying the bills, we wouldn't be in this mess," my dad bellowed, cutting her off. "Because of you, the heating bill is so far behind, they're coming to turn it off. What would you have done if you had Bella on your own? How would bills have gotten paid? What about food? You can't honestly think that your cooking skills would have provided a healthy diet for her."

"You're bringing _my _cooking into this? You can't even order a damn pizza." She was pissed. I wasn't sure how many times I'd even heard her curse.

Dad yelled something back, and they went on and on, point and counterpoint, rebuttal after rebuttal. I lay in my bed, the tears flowing freely down my cheeks.

_Why did they have to argue like this? Would they have been happier apart? Was it because of me that they stayed together? I mean, they kept mentioning me, so I must've been the reason. _

I tried to think of something else, something that would take my mind off their shouting match. It was difficult. The only thing that came to mind was what my teacher had been talking about earlier in the day.

It seemed that there had been some sort of tragedy this morning. It was pretty scary, actually. There had been a teacher from somewhere in America, and she was going to go into space. She was going to be an astronaut, which was pretty cool, really. But this morning, when the shuttle was taking off, something really scary happened. It exploded. I saw the video on the TV many times after I got home from school.

The shuttle took off and everything looked okay. Then it just, like, broke apart. There was a ball of gas or something and the shuttle was gone, along with the seven people who had been on it. It was very sad.

It had happened either when I was in lunch, or just before. We didn't hear about it until Social Studies, my class with Mr. Guenther. He was really shaken. The lady that had died had been a Social Studies teacher, too. He had been so excited that someone who taught the same subject as him was going to do something "monumentous," as he called it. When I walked in, it looked like he'd been crying or something. He was sitting at his desk, his head in his hands, his body trembling as his breath hitched.

I was the first to enter and I noticed his hunched position right away. My discomfort at the situation made me more clumsy than usual, so I tripped over a non-existent crack in the floor and dropped my books. Mr. Guenther's head snapped up in my direction.

"Oh, sorry," I apologized.

"You're okay," Mr. Guenther said, after clearing his throat. "I didn't hear the bell to end lunch. Just sit down. We're not going to have a usual class today. I want to talk to everyone."

After the rest of the class sat at their desks and the bell rang, he began the frightening discussion. I felt terrible for the woman's family and friends, worrying about her kids, but the rest of the class wasn't affected quite as deeply.

I didn't understand them. I had never understood them, but how could they go around speaking about lipstick and hair when this lady and six other people had just died in a terrible accident?

Didn't they think about all the people this would affect, all the people who had lost a loved one? How could my parents fight like this when everything could end so quickly? That lady and the other people hadn't expected to die today. It just happened. They—my parents and classmates— were unbelievably selfish sometimes.

That word broke me from the earlier events.

Was I being selfish? Had I only seen how my parents' fighting affected me? Maybe they weren't happy together. Maybe things would've been better if they had separated a long time ago. But, who would I have been with?

I hated to think of choosing one of my parents over the other. If my mom had taken me away, would I have really known my dad? I wouldn't want that. My dad may not display emotion a lot, but I knew how he felt. I knew that he loved me. I shuddered at the thought of not having him as a part of my life growing up. That would've been terrible. He would've been so lonely.

How different would things have been if it had only been my mom and me?

My mom was sort of flighty. I loved her very much, but even I could see that. Would I have had to be the responsible one if I only had her? Would I have had to be the adult in a relationship where I was really the child?

I didn't want to think about these things. I _wouldn't _think about these things. They didn't happen, so why worry about them? I rolled over, grabbed my headphones, placed them over my ears, and turned on my radio, drowning out a little bit of the yelling still echoing around. Finally, I pulled the pillow tightly over my head, and the sounds of the argument were gone. I closed my eyes tightly, hoping for sleep.

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End Notes:

I hope you enjoyed it. This was posted for Reader Appreciation Day so, as always, thanks for reading.

Those who read my story will notice a large difference between this Bella and the Bella in Lost Cause. She's just a kid here, so her thought process isn't quite the same. I tried to incorporate that. I hope I did an okay job!

This may not make that much sense but in the overall picture, it is in many ways a normal day in her life, barring the tragedy that is mentioned. From the events mentioned, and a little research, you can guess what day this takes place (and it's before Sep 13, 1987). It's a teeny tiny glimpse into part of Bella's back story. I wanted to supply a "day in the life" prior to Lost Cause actually takes place. Hopefully it gives a little substance.

Again, I want to **thank** those who nominated Lost Cause for an Indie TwiFic Award!! I am so grateful that you not only took the time to read my story, but that you also liked it enough to nominate it for an Indie. You really knock me off my feet. **Thank you, thank you, thank you**.


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